Mitt Romney Honorably Suspends His Campaign...
This site will still be around and will be updated from time to time. I still fervently believe Mitt Romney will make an outstanding president and lead this country to even greater heights.
Karl
A grassroots effort dedicated to informing and uniting Alabama in support of Mitt Romney for President in 2008!
Now, I think now, based on the way the campaign has shaken out, that there probably is a candidate on our side who does embody all three legs of the conservative stool, and that's Romney. The three stools or the three legs of the stool are national security/foreign policy, the social conservatives, and the fiscal conservatives. The social conservatives are the cultural people. The fiscal conservatives are the economic crowd: low taxes, smaller government, get out of the way.Rush continues
So my take is, speaking for myself. I'm being honest here. All I do is tell you what I think. What you do with it is up to you. You are not mind-numbed robots as you know. I'm not a Svengali, I'm not a pied piper, and you're not lemmings running off the cliff. If I look at this roster of three candidates -- if I look at Hillary-Obama, about whom there's not a dime's worth of difference, because they're so far left it doesn't matter which one of them wins. If McCain adopts economic policies that sound very much like what you'd get from Hillary-Obama, and if I think those policies are going to take the country down the tubes I'd just as soon the Democrats take the hit for it, not us. Plain and simple.And the coup de etat
I think that's pretty wise. I think right now Romney probably -- as the campaign has coalesced and as the campaign has progressing on down the highway -- I think the one candidate of the three still out there on our side matter (and actually it's just two, because Huckabee doesn't, in terms of a chance to win) in saying who more closely embodies all three legs of this conservative stool, you'd have to say that it's Mitt Romney. There's actually no choice in the matter. It certainly isn't Senator McCain.Now add this to the endorsements of Sean Hanity, Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt, Marc Levin and a host of other conservative media hosts, all of whom are well plugged into "us" the grass roots, and it makes a very compelling case who really is the conservative candidate that can unite us and lead this country.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Mitt Romney coasted to a win in presidential preference voting by Maine Republicans on Saturday, claiming his third victory in a caucus state and fourth overall.
The former Massachusetts governor had 52 percent of the vote with 68 percent of the towns holding caucuses reporting. John McCain trailed with 21 percent, Ron Paul was third with 19 percent, and Mike Huckabee had 6 percent. Undecided votes accounted for 2 percent.
The nonbinding votes, the first step toward electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention, took place in public schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls across the state.
The Associated Press uses presidential preferences expressed in those caucuses to project the number of national convention delegates each candidate will have when they are chosen at Maine's state convention, calculating that Romney will wind up with all 18 delegates when all is said and done.
Campaigning in Minnesota, Romney noted that his victory in Maine came despite McCain's endorsement by the state's two U.S. senators.
Liberal | 49% | 24% | ||||||||
Moderate | 43% | 21% | ||||||||
Conservative | 29% | 37% |
Somewhat Liberal | 55% | 24% | ||||||||
Moderate | 43% | 21% | ||||||||
Somewhat Conserv. | 35% | 32% | ||||||||
Very Conservative | 21% | 44% |
Recent changes by candidates for the Republican nomination for president have made it much clearer that Mitt Romney is the preferred candidate of choice in the Florida Presidential Preference primary.
The recent withdrawal of Fred Thompson from the nomination process and the news reports that Mike Huckabee will only have a minimal campaign in Florida leaves the winner take all race for Florida's delegates between Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. The news reports on these recent changes are provided below. Additionally, the Rasmussen Report provided below shows Mitt Romney has the best chances of winning while Huckabee and Thompson trail far behind.
Rasmussen Survey of 754 Likely GOP Voters January 20, 2008
Election 2008: Florida GOP Primary
Mitt Romney 25%
John McCain 20%
Rudy Giuliani 19%
Mike Huckabee 13%
Fred Thompson 12%
Ron Paul 5%
Not Sure 6%
Dennis Baxley, David Caton, Carole Griffin and Anthony Verdugo, representing over fifty years of combined pro-family leadership in Florida, support Mitt Romney in the Florida Presidential Preference Primary.
The election results from Florida's Primary on January 29th will play a significant role in the Republican nomination for president. Florida's election results are expected to heavily influence the choice of voters during the February 5th Super Tuesday primary that will be held in many other state.
Mitt Romney is clearly the most conservative candidate among the top three competitive candidates (Giuliani, McCain, Romney) appearing on the Florida Presidential Preference ballot in Florida.
Dennis Baxley is the incoming Executive Director for Christian Coalition of Florida and former Florida State Representative for District 24.
David Caton is the Executive Director of Florida Family Association.
Carole Griffin is a pro-family lobbyist in Tallahassee and heads the Eagle Forum in Florida.
Anthony Verdugo is the president of Christian Family Coalition.
First, Romney has a business background. His was more than just making a living, but Romney was an expert in turning around faltering businesses. And while his success may have been measured in dollars earned, he is the only candidate who has actually saved American jobs by reorganizing and restructuring distressed companies. I think we could use a president who has experience in creating and maintaining employment opportunities.
In his time as governor, Romney worked with a contentious legislature controlled by Democrats to pass legislation that turned the deficit into a surplus, provided tax relief and enacted economic incentives to bring jobs back. These achievements were not the result of scripted rhetoric or media spin. They were rather the accomplishments of the successful political leadership of Mitt Romney
Finally, the content of Romney's character is reflected in the values he shares and promotes. One need only catch a candid interview with his wife, Ann, or one of his sons to know that he not only talks about family values, but he actually lives them. Romney's work as a loving husband and father speaks volumes about his person. The reality of his family life is yet another reason to exalt results over rhetoric.I agree whole heartedly with Mr. Sellers assessment with Governor Romney's accomplishments and character.
“Throughout this campaign, Fred Thompson brought a laudable focus to the challenges confronting our country and the solutions necessary to meet them. He stood for strong conservative ideas and believed strongly in the need to keep our conservative coalition together. Ann and I would like to extend our best wishes to Fred, Jeri and their family and congratulate them on their efforts during this campaign.”
Winner: Mitt Romney (he has more delegates than Huckabee, McCain, and Rudy COMBINED)Which candidate has won the largest plurality of voters in any contest thusfar? Mitt Romney (39% of the vote is the highest percentage of any candidate on either side in any contested state thusfar)
Which candidate won the most demographically diverse and most populous state thusfar? Mitt Romney (significant Urban, Suburban, and rural populations in MI)
I read few posts dealing with the dealing with the Romney flip-flop accusation. I decided it be best to simple post and provide the links since the authors did a fine job of addressing the situation. First I’ll start off with the amazing Susan Baldwin of Conservative Wordsmith, then add a dash of Ann Coulter and final top things of with a little Glenn Beck.
First Susan Baldwin:
Is Mitt Romney A Flip-Flopper Or A Lifesaver?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 9:48 PM
Conservative Wordsmith Susan Baldwin writes: Is Mitt Romney really a pro-choice, pro-life flip-flopper? My answer is "No." Governor Mitt Romney is definitely not a flip-flopper. My position on flip-flopping is this: A true flip-flopper flips opinions back and forth constantly, just like rubber beach sandals, or flip-flops, constantly flip up and down while walking, because one's feet are only supported by a thong that fits between two toes.
Mitt Romney is not a true flip-flopper, as a real flip-flopper will change views on a particular issue many, many times, just like the example of the beach flip-flops I mentioned above. See the dictionary definition for "flip-flopper" below, and note the significance of the word "continually," which is a synonym for the word "constantly."
Mitt Romney did not continually change his viewpoint on abortion. Mitt Romney should be commended for his honest turnaround. The truth is that Mitt is now very much against the evil sin of abortion, and I believe that he will be a strong advocate for the unborn when he becomes the first Mormon President of the
Related Links
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flip-flopper
flip-flopper: a person who continually changes a point of view or decision, esp. a politician
Now Ann Coulter –
Posted: 01/16/2008
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24505
Liberals claim to be enraged at Romney for being a "flip-flopper." I've looked and looked, and the only issue I can find that Romney has "flipped" on is abortion. When running for office in
Even when Romney was claiming to support Roe v. Wade, he won the endorsement of Massachusetts Citizens for Life [a pro-life group by the way]. Romney's Democratic opponents always won the endorsements of the very same pro-choice groups now attacking him as a "flip-flopper."
After his term as governor, NARAL Pro-Choice America assailed Romney, saying: "(A)s governor he initially expressed pro-choice beliefs but had a generally anti-choice record. His position on choice has changed. His position is now anti-choice."
Pro-abortion groups like the Republican Majority for Choice -- the evil doppelganger to my own group, Democratic Majority for Life -- are now running videos attacking Romney for "flip-flopping" on abortion.
Of all the Republican candidates for president, Romney and Rudy Giuliani are the only ones who had to be elected in pro-choice districts. Romney governed as a pro-lifer and has been viciously attacked by pro-abortion groups.
Don’t you just love how it’s the liberals who are attacking him as a flip-flopper.
Finally Glenn Beck –
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/4356/
GLENN: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait. That's not evolution. I mean, if there's a clear case to be made some case for flip-flop, it's John McCain. He was just trying to hand free amnesty out to everybody and was like, wow, you know, that was a bad idea; we shouldn't do that. That, at least with your abortion thing, you had an explanation. I don't understand how McCain's not being labeled a flip-flopper.
GLENN: The first time we spoke, I don't know if you remember this, I said to you -- I was very, very skeptical and I said before you came on the air, I'll going to ask this guy for his pivot point and if he can't tell me the moment that it crystallized in his head on abortion, if he can't tell me the wallpaper color of when he realized, "Wait a minute, I'm on the wrong side of this issue," he's lying to you. And you told the story about when you changed and you didn't hesitate at all and I knew it was a valid pivot point. I'm a pivot point guy because I'm a alcoholic. I knew -- I can tell you the moment I said I've got to change my life. That's not the case with John McCain. That's a flip-flop. When it comes to taxes, you don't support them back then and now, "well, I'll make them permanent but I'm not really sure if I would do more tax cuts now." That's a flip-flop. He doesn't even understand what tax cuts do.
My Two Cents:
It takes great character to look at your life and realize something has to change. It isn’t easy and in politics it can be deadly since opponents will use it against you. For me, a father of six children, I will welcome any person with open arms who changes there stance to pro-life whenever that change may come. Is the real question/responce, "I’m a better conservative because I was a pro-lifer longer than you?" Or should the better response be, “Welcome to the light, we’re glad you are with us.”
Karl
As a religious leader, Romney met weekly with students, teachers, immigrant converts and Utah transplants. He had to learn how to give sermons, counsel squabbling couples, organize worship services, manage budgets and address the unique and diverse spiritual needs of more than 1,000 church members in the region.
Questions piled up: How should the church help the new Vietnamese or Cambodian members learn English, get jobs and manage church rituals? Should it build a new chapel to relieve overcrowding in the Cambridge meetinghouse, and what should be done about feminists chafing at LDS policies? Desperately poor Haitians flocked to Romney because he spoke French, having learned it on his two-year mission to Paris.
[He] clearly saw the benefit of working with other faiths in the area.
After a suspicious fire in 1984 destroyed the beginnings of the Belmont chapel, eight churches offered to share their space. Instead of settling on one, Romney chose three - the Catholic Church, Plymouth Congregational Church and Armenian Protestant Church. After each weekly meeting, Romney insisted the Mormons stay behind to vacuum the floors, wash the blackboards and pick up the chairs.
It taught the members, even affluent ones, to value other people's sacred spaces and to do some seemingly menial labor, recalls Philip Barlow, chairman of Mormon Studies at Utah State University who was a counselor, or assistant, to Romney when he was a bishop.
"For the record, let me say that the Romneys their neighbors and associates know are neither phony nor scary," Barlow writes in a forthcoming issue of Religion in the News, published by the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. "Like it or not, Romney is naturally smooth, as much in private as in public."The full link can be found below
The candidate has always "smiled faintly when listening and talking, even about serious or controversial matters," Barlow writes. "Romney smiled in conducting religious services or planning meetings. He smiled while hosting friends at his Cape Cod vacation home. He smiled when comforting a wounded congregant."
This was not a false persona, Barlow writes, but a "mixture of good will, confidence, optimism, enjoyment of intellectual challenge, and idiosyncrasy."
Just a reminder for all Alabamians that the
FAQ: The
Posted on January 9th, 2008 by Steve
Do the
Yes, the Alabama Republican Party and the Alabama Democratic Party are both hosting their primaries Tuesday, February 5
Who can vote in the primaries?
Anyone who is registered to vote 10 days before the primary is allowed to vote in the Republican or Democratic primary. Whether declared Republican, Democrat, or Independent you can vote in the open Republican primary or the open Democratic primary.
I turned in a voter registration application. Am I registered to Vote?
Just because you turned in a voter registration application does not necessarily mean you are registered to vote. Once your application has been processed by your local board of registrars, you should receive an acknowledgement from the registrars indicating the status of your application. This acknowledgement will usually be a voter identification card confirming that you are registered to vote. However, if your application was incomplete, you may receive a letter requesting additional information to complete your application. If you are unsure about the status of your application, you can always call your local board of registrars and check.
Is Mitt’s run for the White House done if he doesn’t win 1st in
No, not by a long shot. He is leading all Republicans in the delegate count with ‘two silvers and a gold’, and a second place in Michigan would obviously be more disappointing than a first, but will still carry the banner of the consensus conservative candidate.
What is a consensus conservative candidate?
Mitt is the standard bearer of the Reagan Coalition of social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and national security conservatives. Senator McCain has strongly favored a comprehensive immigration approach, which included work visas for illegals, higher CAFE standards for automobiles, which hurts the American automobile industry, and the (in)famous McCain-Feingold legislation that limits campaign contributions.
Governor Huckabee, on the other hand, has supported in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, raised numerous state taxes, and pardoned more inmates than the three previous Arkansas Governors combined.
Why should I vote for Mitt Romney for President?
With Romney as President, Alabamians can trust that their taxes will stay low, their country will have a strong, proactive national defense, and a leader who will support pro-family legislation as he has lived family values.
A. "Just" one vote can and often does make a difference in the outcome of an election. Here are some recent examples of real elections decided by one vote.
Do you have any more information on
Mitt Romney is still ahead of the pack. To recap, Romney came in second in
Also, many say he's lost cause he out spent his opponents and it hasn't reaped a win. Romney has spent more money because he is not a house hold name like McCain or Guliani. He's had to get his message out there buy spending money on adds and trips to the states. I wrote about this previously here.
Below is the breakdown:
By the popular vote.
Romney - 30% - 103,247
McCain - 29% - 101,637
Huckabee - 19% - 66,638
Paul - 9% - 29,469
Giuliani - 7% - 23,955
Thompson - 5% - 18,684
The only other criteria–and the most important one for that matter–is overall delegate count.
Romney - 30 (42%)
Huckabee - 21 (30%)
McCain - 10 (14%)
Thompson - 6 (8%)
Paul - 2 (3%)
Giuliani - 1 (1%)
Hunter - 1 (1%)
.
Folks this is a long haul race not something decided on few states. Rush Limbaugh outlined it well
I want to remind all my Republican friends that there are many states after Iowa and New Hampshire where the Republican populations are far more indicative of the conservative base, and to get caught up in what happened in Iowa, to get caught up in what's going to happen in New Hampshire as though they're the only two states that matter and that they're going to determine the fallout on both parties is a little bit over the top.
SALEM, N.H. -- John McCain, who happily volunteers he doesn't know much about economics . . .
McCain stood before a line graph showing the increase of the alternative-minimum tax, a low-budget campaign's alternative to the PowerPoint presentation Mitt Romney uses when talking about economic policy, a subject McCain has said he feels he is unknowledgeable and that filling the void would be a priority when selecting a vice-presidential nominee.
Like Mike Huckabee, who joked recently that he "may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night," McCain suggested to reporters Monday that American consumer culture offered a short cut to expertise. "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," McCain said. "I've got Greenspan's book."
He was a stronger, more real version of Mitt tonight. I truly enjoyed it, and I haven't thought he's won a debate since the very first Republican debate. I think he probably did himself a lot of good in New Hampshire tonight, and the Luntz focus group shows it. This is the first time I've thought, maybe ever, that there's a glimmer of hope for Romney in a general.Hugh Hewitt brought out the Luntz focus groups and their amazing results
The Luntz focus group is the best ten minutes of television Romney has had since the campaign began.
Fred Barnes: "A terrific debate for Mitt Romney."
Luntz's people meters measuring moment by moment reactions from debate watchers show that Romney consistently got the best results from both conservatives and moderates. "Incredibly high results," Luntz says on both illegal immigration and the need to change Washington.
"With just two days to go Romney hit a home run tonight," Luntz concluded.
One secondary benefit of tonight's debate for Romney is that Republicans thinking forward to the fall debates with Barack Obama know who is the best prepared to handle those contests.
Now Romney soaring here describing why he is running and his values:
http://www.wmur.com/video
and here were he discusses radical jihad and the need to move to a second phase to deal with Iraq:
Governor Mitt Romney
Fox Business Network's "Cavuto"
October 15, 2007
Fox News' Neil Cavuto: "Now, he's the only GOP candidate so far to sign this no-tax pledge. Does he remember what happened to President Bush's father? So I asked him: is he nuts?"
Governor Mitt Romney: "Well, you have to stand for something and indicate what your priorities and your principles are and, in this setting, we're taking in enough money. The government is not taxing too little, it is spending too much. My priority is to rein in spending."
Cavuto: "So you can never see a situation where you might have to abandon that pledge?"
Governor Romney: "If King Kong attacks California, why, we'd obviously have to reconsider, but that's not..."
Cavuto: "What about a multi-year recession?"
Governor Romney: "Raising taxes is not the right answer for a multi-year recession. Major recessions would require reducing taxes, the right way to get our economy?"
Cavuto: "So there's no variable?"
Governor Romney: "The key is to keep our tax burden down so you grow the economy. A growing economy creates the revenues that government needs, and as long as you rein in spending so that spending is growing at a slower rate than the economy – then you have a stronger and stronger future."
Cavuto: "No one can get spending under control, Governor..."
...
Cavuto: "Would you ever envision a scenario where you'd entertain [raising taxes]?"
Governor Romney: "No, no the right answer is not to raise taxes on the American people and whether you're talking about capital gains tax or the ordinary income tax or the death tax or the Social Security tax, you don't want to raise taxes on people. We're taxing enough. The question is how do we spend our money more wisely and which programs are actually effective.
"When I came into the Olympics, for instance, I found out we had to cut our budget by $200 million and people said that's impossible. But you know, we did it. It took us a long time, we worked it through, we looked at all the things we were doing, we said, 'These are nice things to do, nice to have, but they're not need-to-have.' And in a country like ours, given the challenges we face globally, we're going to have to cut back to the need-to-have programs; the true safety-net programs, our military programs, but other sort of Congressional ideas that have been hanging around for years that aren't getting a lot done, we're going to pare some of those back or eliminate them all together.
To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FN_dfXhSaQ
The First Monday in October marks the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court term. Cases in the upcoming term could dramatically impact the everyday lives of all Americans. The Court will face questions involving the death penalty, voter identification as a means of ensuring fair elections, efforts to stop child pornography, whether terrorists held as enemy combatants deserve special rights, and perhaps even our right to keep and bear arms. That is why it is important that we nominate justices in the strict constructionist mold of Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas.
Today reminds us that a judge’s most solemn obligation is to the 'rule of law,' a phraseology of which I am particularly fond since it comes from the original Massachusetts constitution of 1780. It reminds us that those appointed to the federal bench must leave behind their partisan passions and retain only one: the passion for 'equal justice under law.' Respect and fidelity to the rule of law and equal justice under law must guide the judicial mind and, in fact, they are required by the oath all federal judges must take.
Those holding themselves out for the Presidency have an equally solemn obligation: to find women and men for judicial service who respect the rule of law and who will be faithful to the law as enacted. As President, I intend to nominate judges who respect the separation of powers, are committed to judicial restraint, and have a genuine appreciation of the text, structure, and history of our Constitution. The judges I nominate will recognize, as I do, that as Justice Scalia once said, the Court ought not take the field as some kind of 'junior-varsity Congress.' That would wrongl
Labels: Romney Supreme Court
Aside from that strange response, why does he amateurishly talk of sending U.S. forces into Pakistan to hunt down one man? A plan that would further risk destabilizing an already fragile Pakistani government...Good point. I seem to remember Gov Romney receiving a lot of flak when asked about what would he do if we had another 9-11 style attack. He answered something to the effect of meeting with advisers and seeing the legality of response. NOTE: (I can not find the exact statement, if you know it tell me and I'll revise the post).
Clearly, the mutual admiration society of Huckabee and McCain has nothing to do with the feelings of each toward the other, but rather, their growing panic with regard to the Romney campaign. While Romney has run what the media has called “conventional contrast ads” against the positions and records of both candidates, McCain and Huckabee have chosen the low road in response. Each man decided to launch personal attacks against Romney and his very character.Romney's ads attack the facts, the "what you did as governor or senator" It points out the substance. It reminds me of Reagan vs Carter, he went after his record not Carter personally. The Huckabee and McCain campaigns can't stand by the record so go after the person?
[W]hy has the equally liberal Boston Globe endorsed McCain? Why has the National Education Association of New Hampshire endorsed Mike Huckabee? Why? Other than liking their amnesty and education plans for illegal aliens, what is it about these two candidates that these liberal organizations and media outlets love?The media loves McCain and Huckabee. All today it's been about McVain's (whoops) McCain's surge and it has been the pitch line on every station, he's the "Comeback Kid." I'll throw my two cents in. The media knows Romney will beat, yes beat, any candidate on the Democrat side.


Romney attacks McCain-Feingold because the "electioneering communication" prohibition imposes a "free speech blackout period," where corporations, including non-profit advocacy groups, and labor unions would commit a federal crime if they mentioned the name of a federal candidate in a broadcast ad within 30 days of a primary and 60 of a general election. He says that "the American people should be free to advocate for their candidates and their positions without burdensome limitations" and that this blackout period "is contrary to the spirit of a free and open issues debate.
Romney was and is appropriately concerned about the influence of money on politics, which is why he is for more transparency, accountability and disclosure, all of which McCain-Feingold has undermined by driving money to "secret corners." Regarding spending limits and public funding, which he previously supported, they restrict candidates, not citizens groups which he criticized McCain-Feingold for, and they proved to be such a failure in Massachusetts that he supported their repeal as Governor.
Senator McCain recently explained, in filings in the U.S. Supreme Court, that any broadcast ads were sham efforts to influence federal elections, if they "took a critical stance regarding a candidate's position on an issue" and "referred to the candidate by name," during the blackout periods, and could be banned. It would come as a surprise to most Americans that incumbent politician have the power under our Constitution to prohibit people from criticizing them, but this is just what McCain-Feingold is intended to do.
WALLACE: We've got a couple of minutes left. Fred Thompson all but announced this week that he is running for president. Are you satisfied with his credentials? Does the Republican field now have a true conservative?
GINGRICH: Well, first of all, there are several candidates who each bring their own unique strengths to this, and in terms of offering a very bold, dramatic vision, Governor Romney would be capable of it. I think Mayor Giuliani would be capable of it. I think Fred Thompson will be capable of it.
Referring to Romney's stance, McCain said: "Maybe I should wait a couple of weeks and see if it changes because it's changed in less than a year from his position before."
To which John Weaver, a top McCain aide replied: “It was a joke and, by the way, Mitt Romney should be mocked! There isn’t a single issue in politics he hasn’t flip-flopped on."
"Mitt Romney has been consistent in one regard: that nearly every position he holds now is opposite of what it was when he was governor of Massachusetts."
He [Romney] previously held all of the same positions as Giuliani -- he's just trying to lie about them while Giuliani is standing for what he believes in.
Foremost is the charge that he's a campaign convert to conservatism after running as a more moderate or liberal candidate in Massachusetts.
Romney is either a true, rock-ribbed conservative who played a Rockefeller Republican to get elected in Massachusetts, or he is a genuine, limousine liberal portraying a conservative to win the 2008 GOP nomination. This fine thespian has lost himself so thoroughly in both these roles that no one really knows where the performer ends and the characters begin.

Mr. Romney's financial support is deep but narrow. He amassed $20 million from fewer than 33,000 donors, according to figures disclosed by his campaign. By comparison, Mr. McCain raised $12.5 million from nearly 50,000 donors while Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, raised $25 million from more than 100,000. Their average contributors each gave about $250; Mr. Romney's gave more than $600.
The Romney 2008 campaign has been very methodical. His fund-raising machine is a marvel; in just one day last January, he raised $6.5 million, almost just to show that he could. But his base is narrow—mostly wealthy Mormons and Wall Streeters.
It helps Mr Romney that his Rolodex is stuffed with wealthy supporters. His money came from just 33,000 contributors. Mr McCain, in contrast, relied on 60,000 people.
It's likely that the average gift was astronomically high, meaning there is almost no chance this is a "grassroots outpouring" in favor of Romney. (which is confirmed by the very skewed ratio of donors to dollars raised) This is a large dollar candidate, not an Internet candidate.
Don't get me wrong, for Mitt Romney to have raised over 20 million is impressive. But if one takes a closer look at where the donations came from, one finds Romney got far more "big" donations than did McCain. What that means is that in the next round or two of fundraising, Romney's donors will be tapped out to the max, whereas McCain's campaign can go back and get repeat donations (in smaller quantities) from the same loyal donors . . . For Mitt Romney, it could be a case where he might have peaked too early.
Romney brings presidential campaign to Alabama
PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who brought his presidential campaign to Alabama on Friday, is drawing early support from some of the state's top Republicans, and he's getting praised by the governor.
But others question how Romney's past views and Mormon faith will play in the conservative state.
Romney traveled to Montgomery to speak to the Alabama Republican Party after campaigning earlier in the day in South Carolina, which has the South's first Republican presidential primary on Feb. 2, 2008, followed by Alabama and Arkansas on Feb. 5.
It was Romney's third trip to Alabama since last fall, and he has already put together a campaign team in the state.
State Treasurer Kay Ivey is serving as state chair of his exploratory committee. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, is co-chair, and U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, has endorsed him.
Ivey calls Romney "a true conservative" and said she was impressed by "his record of making government more responsive to the people."
Alabama's Republican governor, Bob Riley, has not endorsed anyone in the presidential race, but he praised Romney on Friday, singling out his success as a venture capitalist and running the Salt Lake City Olympics before becoming governor the same year as Riley.
"This guy is the quintessential candidate. He's nice looking. He's articulate. He's eminently successful," Riley said at a news conference.
State Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, is not among Romney's supporters. He said he was "shocked" when he began to review positions Romney held before he started eyeing the presidency.
"When he ran for the U.S. Senate against Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney took some of the most pro-abortion and pro-gay rights positions I have ever seen a Republican take. He made Ted Kennedy seem almost conservative," said Beason, who has strong ties to the GOP's religious right in Alabama.
While in South Carolina, Romney sought to dispel doubts about his opposition to abortion.
"Every act I've taken as governor has been in favor of life," he said.
While campaigning for governor in 2002 and making an unsuccessful Senate race in 1994, Romney positioned himself as a supporter of abortion rights. He said the death of a teenage relative during the 1960s from a botched abortion caused him to believe the procedure should be safe and legal.
Romney said he reversed his position two years ago after studying the issue of stem cell research and deciding that abortion "cheapened the value of human life."
John Giles, former president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama and Christian Action Alabama, said Romney's Mormon faith may cause him problems in an overwhelmingly Protestant state like Alabama.
"Alabama is not going to be keen on that," Giles said.
Ivey predicted Romney's religion will have no more impact that John Kennedy's Catholicism did when he carried the state in 1960.
"He's been married to the same woman for 38 years. I don't know of any others who can say that," Ivey said of other leading Republican candidates.
Associated Press Writer Jim Davenport contributed to his report.
Myth vs. Fact: The Facts on Governor Romney's Pro-Life Record
Monday, Jan 22, 2007
MYTH: Today, Materials Passed Out By "Anonymous Somebodies" Claim Governor Romney Supported RU-486 "As Late As 2005." "Liz Mair sends word that some anonymous somebodies are passing out anti-Romney fliers at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. today. Among the bullet points listed are allegations that Governor Romney flip-flopped on RU-486 – as late as 2005 supposedly supportive of the idea of forcing Catholic hospitals to dispense the abortion drug." ("Romney Backed RU-486?," www.redstate.com, 1/22/06)
FACT: Governor Romney Is Pro-Life, Opposes RU-486 And Has A Record Of Taking Action To Protect The Sanctity Of Life. "If you want to know where I stand by the way, you don't just have to listen to my words, you can go to look at my record as governor. ... I have also taken action to protect the sanctity of life. I vetoed bills that authorized embryo farming, therapeutic cloning, Plan B emergency contraception, and of course a redefinition of when life was going to begin as well." (Romney For President Exploratory Committee, "Governor Mitt Romney On His 1994 Debate With Senator Ted Kennedy," Press Release, 1/10/07)
- To view video, please see: http://mittromney.permissiontv.com/?showid=36427
Governor Romney Is Supported By Leading Pro-Lifers, Including:
- Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)
- Former Representative Vin Weber (R-MN)
- Representative Jim McCrery (R-LA)
- Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL)
- Representative Dave Camp (R-MI)
- Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA)
FACT: In 2005, Governor Romney Vetoed Morning-After Pill Legislation. "Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a bill on Monday expanding access to emergency contraception, angering abortion rights advocates while pleasing anti-abortion activists... 'If it only dealt with contraception, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But it also in some cases terminates a life after conception, and therefore it ceases in that case to be a contraceptive provision,' he said." (Theo Emery, "Romney Vetos [Sic] Emergency Contraception Bill," The Associated Press, 7/25/05)
- Pro-Life Leaders Praised The Move. "Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League, a national anti-abortion group, called the veto 'fantastic.' 'I think any candidate that establishes themselves as respecting human life in the earliest stages – and that's what Gov. Romney has done here – would certainly be appealing to pro-life voters,' he said. ... Marie Sturgis, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said that anti-abortion voters will look favorably on the governor's decision. 'I would think that would be a byproduct of this, sure, that pro-lifers would appreciate his stand. It would seem logical. Every time someone votes our way, our grass roots and certainly the organization is appreciative of that,' she said." (Theo Emery, "Romney Vetos [Sic] Emergency Contraception Bill," The Associated Press, 7/25/05)
FACT: In An Editorial At The Time, Governor Romney Explained His Veto, And Declared "I Am Pro-Life":
"Yesterday I vetoed a bill that the Legislature forwarded to my desk. Though described by its sponsors as a measure relating to contraception, there is more to it than that. The bill does not involve only the prevention of conception: The drug it authorizes would also terminate life after conception. ...
"I understand that my views on laws governing abortion set me in the minority in our Commonwealth. I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. ..." (Governor Mitt Romney, Op/Ed, "Why I Vetoed Contraception Bill," The Boston Globe, 7/26/05)
Romney, has been spending lots of money in Alabama and will soon spend more time in the state.
Romney used his Commonwealth PAC to make $143,500 in campaign contributions to Republican candidates and party organizations during this year's elections, campaign finance reports show.
Romney is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech when the State Republican Executive Committee meets Feb. 9 in Montgomery. He visited Alabama once during 2006, appearing in Tuscaloosa at dinner honoring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.
Montgomery lobbyist Claire Austin, who is advising Romney's PAC on the Alabama political landscape, said Alabamians will be seeing a lot of Romney in the future.
"He's like a rock star. He's got it going," she told The Birmingham News.
Romney's PAC contributions in Alabama were larger than those of another likely GOP candidate, Arizona Sen. John McCain, whose Straight Talk America PAC distributed $117,750 to Alabama candidates and party committees in 2006.
. . .
The interest in Alabama stems from the Legislature moving up the state's 2008 presidential primary from June to February, when it will be among the earliest in the nation.
ROMNEY’S PAC ADDS TO SOUTHERN TEAMNovember 29, 2006 - Governor Mitt Romney’s Commonwealth PAC today announced Eric Tanenblatt has been added to its Southern Advisory Team and will focus particularly in Georgia. In addition, Tanenblatt will lead the Georgia Finance Team for the PAC.
“As the Commonwealth PAC continues to look for ways to assist Republican organizations on the state and local levels, I’m pleased to have such a fine team in Georgia,” Romney said. “Eric Tanenblatt has proven to be a very successful political operative in Georgia for nearly two decades. I appreciate his willingness to lead our Georgia team.”
Tanenblatt said, “Governor Romney has a refreshing optimistic vision for America. His experience tackling challenging issues in his business career, at the '02 Olympics and most recently as Governor, demonstrates his ability to lead in difficult times. I appreciate this opportunity with the Commonwealth PAC.”
Eric Tanenblatt is a Senior Managing Director at McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP. He was the Finance Chair for Governor Sonny Perdue’s 2006 successful re-election campaign. He was also the Georgia Victory Chair and Bush Ranger in the 2004 cycle. From 2003 to 2004, Tanenblatt served as Governor Perdue’s Chief of Staff. In 2000, he was the Georgia State Chairman for President Bush’s campaign. Prior to that, he served as Senior Political Advisor to the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell from 1989 to 2000.
Other members of the Commonwealth PAC’s Georgia Finance Team include:
Nancy Coverdell, wife of the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell
Fred Cooper, Chairman of the G8 Summit Host Committee in 2004, Bush Pioneer in 2004, Georgia Victory Chair in 2002, General Chairman for Bush 2000, Georgia State Chairman for George H.W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 1988 and 1992, and a successful businessman (Cooper Capital) and longtime Republican leader.
James Edenfield, Georgia Victory Chair in 2006, Bush Pioneer in 2004, Bush Finance Chair in 2000, and Chief Executive Officer of American Software.
Joe Rogers, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Waffle House, a successful businessman and longtime Republican fundraiser.
Shelby, the honoree at the Tuscaloosa Republican Party's inaugural Lincoln-Reagan dinner Sunday, predicted Romney would run.
"I believe the political season is beginning to warm up, not only in this state, but the presidential race is going to open up a little bit later and this is a warmup for that," Shelby said.
"We know you are going to be in it, we believe you are going to be in it, although it is not official yet," said Shelby, a Tuscaloosa resident.
The Republican senator said Romney has a lot to offer and has done an outstanding job in Massachusetts. But Shelby was not ready to offer any endorsements for 2008.